Condenser pliers



July 12, 1966 R. 1.. EVANS I 3,2

CONDENSER PLIERS Filed June 12, 1964 INVENTOR.

RALPH L. EVANS BY KW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,259,965 CONDENSERPLIERS Ralph L. Evans, 2110 W. North Temple St., Salt Lake City, UtahFiled June 12, 1964, Ser. No. 374,746 4 Claims. (Cl. 29-227) Thisinvention relates to hand tools, and more particularly to a springcompression tool for installation of spring-loaded condensers and thelike in confined spaces in small internal combustion engines.

Condensers for ignition systems in motors for lawnmowers, motorbikes andthe like are mounted in a holder or clip by means of a small compressionspring coaxi-ally disposed about the positive terminal of the condenser.This spring must be compressed during installation of the condenser inorder to permit insertion of the connecting lead into an opening in thecondenser terminal. The difliculty of simultaneously holding thecondenser in alignment within the clip, compressing the smallcompression spring and inserting the connecting lead in the terminalopening has perplexed mechanics and has resulted in undue consumption oftime, loss of springs and even minor injuries to the hands of theinstaller. The problem is compounded when the holding clip is notreadily acessible.

An object of this invention is the provision of a hand tool for rapidlyinstalling spring-loaded condensers in motors and the like.

Another object is the provision of such a hand tool with a readilyactuated mechanism for compressing the condenser spring and forreleasing same when the con-, denser is mounted and connected.

A further object is the provision of an inexpensive condenserinstallation tool of relatively simple design that may .be quicklyadjusted to accommodate condensers having diflerent lengths.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a condenser tool embodying myinvention and shown in the locked position;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the condenser tool in the unlocked orreleased position; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded elevation of a condenser and spring assembly ofthe type for which my installation tool is useful.

Referring now to the drawings, the condenser installation tool comprisesa first jaw member 12, a second jaw member 13 aligned with andcoextensive with the first jaw member, and a paw actuating lever 14. Jawmembers 12 and 13 are pivotally connected at the rear end of the tool asindicated at 16 and have opposed outwardly curved jaws 17 and 18,respectively, at the forward end, and straight shank portions 19 and 20,respectively, intermediate the forward and rear ends. Lever 14 has anelongated straight rear portion 14a, a shorter straight front portion14b, and a diagonally extending intermediate portion 14c; theintersection of the diagonal and front portions defining a V-shapedfulcrum F engageable with jaw member 13 and about which lever 14 pivots.

In order to bias jaw members 12 and 13 apart, a spring 22 is disposedtherebetween immediately to the rear of the jaws 17 and 18,respectively, coaxially of a screw 23. The shank portion 19 of jawmember 12 has a tapped hole 24 for receiving the threaded end of thescrew 23 and oversize openings 26 and 27 in front lever portion 14b andshank portion of jaw member 13,

3,259,965 Patented July 12, 1966 respectively, loosely receive the upperpart of the screw. Head 23a of the screw 23 is wider at its base thanthe diameter of opening 26 and thus lever 14 and jaw member 13 areyieldably secured together by spring 22 and the screw. Adjustment of thespacing between jaws 17 and 18 to accommodate condensers of differentlengths is effected by screw 23.

Jaw members 12 and 13 are uniquely pivot-ally connected at 16 by acombination pivot and lever lock structure comprising a hooked extension30 at the rear of jaw member 12 which curves up and forwardly, and atransverse lip 31 at the rear end of jaw member 13 formed with anenlarged opening 32 for loosely receiving extension 30. The curvature ofhook 30 is sufliciently Wide that its extremity 30a which overlies therear shank part of jaw member 13 is spaced therefrom greater than thethickness of lever 14. The hook 30 thus provides a catch or holder forthe lever when depressed to lock the jaw members as shown in FIGURE 1.Opening 32 in lip 31 loosely constrains hook 30 so'that the jaw memberscan pivot relative to each other. Also opening 30 has a transversedimension D greater than the thickness or width of hook 30 so that thejaw member 12 may be rotated about its longitudinal axis with the hookin the opening in order to permit assembly and disassembly of the tool.

laws 17 and 18 are formed with forwardly opening longitudinal slots 35and 36, respectively, for receiving the terminal T of condenser Cgripped in the jaws as indicated in broken line in FIGURE 1. When thejaws are opened as shown in FIGURE 2, the condenser C, see FIGURE 3,with spring S and washer W disposed ooaxially of terminal T, is placedwithin the jaws 17 and 18 such that the condenser terminal is alignedwith the proximate slot 35 or 36. Lever 14 is then depressed and lockedunder hook 30; the lever rocking about its fulcrum F, causing member 13to compress spring 23 'and moving jaws 17 and 18 toward each other. Asthe jaw proximate to condenser terminal T engages condenser washer W andcompresses spring S, terminal T projects through the jaw slot 35 or 36and the extremity of the terminal and the connector hole H therein areexposed on the opposite side of the jaw. The installer then manipulatesthe gripped condenser with one hand into the proper position forultimate connection in the motor ignition system. The connecting lead Lof the ignition system is then readily inserted with the free hand intohole H. Lever 14 is thereafter disengaged from hook 30, permitting thejaws to move apart under the bias of spring 23 and relieving the grip ofthe jaws on the condenser so that the tool maybe removed therefrom.

It is often desirable that the bared end of lead L have a doubleright-angle bend in order to prevent inadvertent dislocation of the leadfrom hole H of terminal T. In order to facilitate bending of the lead,the inside surface of one of the jaws of the tool 10, namely jaw 17, isformed with a shallow recess 40 which extends transversely of slot 35for the full width of the jaw. The bared lead is first inserted in slot35 and is bent around the longitudinally extending corner edge of theslot to form the right-angle bend. The end leg of the bent lead is thendisposed in recess 40 on one side of the slot 35 with the otherperpendicular leg passing through the slot, and the latter is bent backagainst the opposite face of the jaw on the other side of the slot.'Ihis produces the double right-angle bend in the lead which acts as ashoulder to prevent displacement of the lead from hole H by alongitudinal pull on the lead. Recess 40 in conjunction with slot 35thus serves to properly locate and hold the lead during the bendingoperation.

3 Changes and modifications may be made to the above describedembodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit andprecepts thereof. Therefore, the cl-aimsdescribe the invention in scopeconsistent with the advance it represents in the art.

I claim:

1. A hand tool for condensers and the likecomprising a first elongatedjaw member having a divergent jaw at one end and a hooked extension atthe other end,

a second elongated jaw member juxtaposed with and coextensive with thefirst jaw member and having a divergent jaw at one end adjacent to thefirst named j said second member having a transverse lip at its oppositeend formed with an opening through which said hooked extension extends,

said opening having transverse dimensions greater than the correspondingtransverse dimensions of said hook whereby to loosely constrain the hookand pivotally connect said jaw members,

-a lever having a V-shaped fulcrum engageable with said second memberadjacent to the jaw thereon,

a screw threadedly engaging said first member and looselyinterconnecting said second member and lever thereto, and

a bias spring disposed coaxially of said screw between said jaw membersfor urging same apart,

said lever being engageable under said hook for positioning said jawmembers in the locked position and being releasable therefrom to permitthe bias spring to move the jaw members to the unlocked position.

2. The hand tool according to claim 1 in which at 25 a1 connection ofsaid jaw members and said releasable.

locking means are integral with said jaw members.

least one of said jaws has a slot therein for receiving a terminal partof the condenser.

the other of said members having an opening adjacent to its jaw forloosely receiving said screw,

a lever loosely engaging said screw and disposedon the side of saidother member opposite from said one member,

said lever having a fulcrum engaging said other mem-.

her and being rockable about said fulcrumfor moving said jaw memberstoward and away from each other,

spring means disposed coaxia'lly of said screw between said jaw membersfor yieldably urging same apart, and f means for releasably locking saidlever when the spacing between said jaw member is minimum.

4. A hand tool according to claim 3 in which the pivot- References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1965 Baker 29227 X WILLIAMFELDMAN, Primary Examiner. I. C. PETERS, Assistant Examiner.

5/1933 Pioch 29 221

3. A HAND TOOL COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED JUXTAPOSED COEXTENSIVE JAWMEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT THE REAR ENDS THEREOF FOR MOVEMENT TOWARDAND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AND HAVING OPPOSED JAWS AT THE FRONT ENDSTHEREOF, A TRANSVERSE SCREW THREADEDLY ENGAGING ONE OF SAID MEMBERSADJACENT TO ITS JAW, THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING AN OPENINGADJACENT TO ITS JAW FOR LOOSELY RECEIVING SAID SCREW, A LEVER LOOSELYENGAGING SAID SCREW AND DISPOSED ON THE SIDE OF SAID OTHER MEMBEROPPOSITE FROM SAID ONE MEMBER, SAID LEVER HAVING A FULCRUM ENGAGING SAIDOTHER MEMBER AND BEING ROCKABLE ABOUT SAID FULCRUM FOR MOVING SAID JAWMEMBERS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, SPRING MEANS DISPOSED COAXIALLYOF SAID SCREW BETWEEN SAID JAW MEMBERS FOR YIELDABLY URGING SAME APART,AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID LEVER WHEN THE SPACING BETWEENSAID JAW MEMBER IS MINIMUM.